Stolen Cerberus XII strengthens US, Hellenic interoperability in Greece

Exercise Stolen Cerberus XII, a bilateral training event involving members of the U.S. Air Force and Hellenic Armed Forces, concluded at Elefsina Air Base, Greece, May 7.

The two-week exercise, hosted annually by the 37th Airlift Squadron, aims to enhance interoperability and airlift capabilities between the United States and Greece.

Throughout the exercise, three C-130J Super Hercules aircraft from the 86th Airlift Wing joined Hellenic Air Force C-130H Hercules crews to execute various airlift missions and joint training events, including low-cost low-altitude and container delivery system airdrops, static line and military free fall jumps, low-level tactical flight maneuvers, aeromedical evacuation scenarios, Airfield Marking Pattern (AMP)-4 landings, combat offloads and forklift familiarization.

“This year’s exercise pushed our crews to execute a diverse range of missions with a high level of coordination,” said U.S. Air Force Capt. Eric Zielen-Ersing, 37th AS SCXII mission commander. “The experience gained through this level of interoperability is critical to our mission readiness.”

Training scenarios were conducted across varied terrain, taking advantage of Greece’s diverse geography to replicate realistic mission environments. To ensure success, mission planners and aircrews worked closely with their Hellenic counterparts to build, brief and execute tactical flight routes under both daylight and low-light conditions.

“The C-130 is a day and night, all-weather tactical airlift platform,” said U.S. Air Force Capt. Chris Gallimore, 37th AS SCXII mission planning cell chief. “Training in an environment like this gives us the repetition and realism we need to remain effective.”

Integration extended beyond flying units. Contracting, communications, supply and maintenance Airmen from Team Ramstein contributed to the exercise’s success, working in conjunction with the Hellenic forces to sustain operations and overcome logistical challenges.

“We worked closely with several units from the 86th Airlift Wing beyond just the 37th Airlift Squadron,” Zielen-Ersing said. “All of these units had a chance to see firsthand how we integrate to project airpower downrange, something we can’t fully replicate at our home station.”

Among the many players was the 86th Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron, who used the exercise as a training opportunity, conducting joint scenarios with Hellenic medical personnel aboard both U.S. and Hellenic C-130 aircraft.

“My favorite part was collaborating with the Hellenic AE team,” said Staff Sgt. Charles Sanchez, 86th AES mission clinical coordinator. “We swapped patients mid-mission and continued training together, which was an excellent opportunity to compare techniques and learn from each other.”

With 12 iterations completed, Stolen Cerberus has evolved into more than just a training exercise, it’s a reflection of the deepening strategic partnership between the U.S. and Hellenic forces.

“Exercise Stolen Cerberus is an excellent training opportunity because it gives us the opportunity to fly with our NATO partners and to take lessons learned and apply them to both of our tactics, techniques and procedures,” said Maj. Hannah Riddle, 37th AS SCXII detachment commander. “Through this exercise we build camaraderie with the Hellenic Air Force and know that if we are called upon, we can operate seamlessly together from a strategically beneficial location with a partnership that has been wrought over 12 years.”